For the Antigo Times

The Antigo Police Department will join hundreds of other law enforcement agencies throughout Wisconsin for the annual Click It or Ticket safety belt enforcement campaign from May 21 to June 3.

“We enforce Wisconsin’s mandatory safety belt law – not to write citations – but to help save lives and prevent needless injuries,” said Officer Chris May of the Antigo Police Department. “Right now in Wisconsin, we know that about nine of 10 motorists consistently wear a safety belt. We also know that the 10 percent who fail to buckle up account for nearly half of the drivers and passengers killed in Wisconsin traffic crashes each year.”

The state’s safety belt use rate of 89.4 percent is the highest ever, but still lags behind the national average. Last year in Wisconsin, there were 58,889 traffic convictions for failure to fasten a seat belt.

In Wisconsin, law enforcement officers can stop and cite motorists for failing to wear a safety belt. In addition, drivers can be cited for every unbuckled passenger in their vehicle. “Again, this is about preventing injuries and saving lives,” Officer May said. “Before hitting the road, drivers need to ensure that everyone is buckled up, every seat, every trip.”